The Nature of Things

Hendricks/Pekkanen had a unique idea for the plot of their book; a young woman, a make-up artist, in New York needs extra money to help her parents pay for the care of her disabled sister. The young woman, Jessica (Jess), is "doing" one of her clients one day when she hears about a way to earn money by participating in a psychological study. She sees a flyer that reads: "Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed." She learns that her client who had signed up to participate has decided to drop out before the study has actually begun. She decides to present herself as a replacement. She is accepted and thus begins an experience that will test her resilience and strength of character. Running the study is a Dr. Shields. The writers tell their story through the perspectives of Jess and Dr. Shields.  Jess finds herself seated at a computer and faced with a series of questions to answer. They are...